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The urban heat island accelerates litter decomposition through microclimatic warming in temperate urban forests

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Abstract

Forests worldwide are experiencing fragmentation, with especially important consequences for ecosystems bordering urbanized areas. Urban forests are exposed to local warming due to the urban heat island which affects their biodiversity and ecosystem functioning. A key ecosystem function affecting carbon and nutrient cycling in forests is litter decomposition, a process driven by the local microclimate. Thus, our aim was to clarify the impact of the urban heat island on litter decomposition in urban forests. We studied soil microclimate and litter decomposition in six urban forests across Europe and along local gradients from the urban forest edge to the interior. To quantify decomposition independent from local forest composition and litter quality, we used standardized green tea and rooibos tea litterbags. We determined the role of the soil microclimate and other environmental drivers for litter decomposition. Secondly, we assessed effects of edge proximity and landscape context on the soil microclimate. Soil characteristics were only driving green tea and not rooibos tea decomposition. On the contrary, higher soil temperatures resulted in faster rates of litter decomposition for both green and rooibos tea and were related to the proximity to the forest edge and the proportion of built-up area in the landscape. Via structural equation modelling we detected cascading effects of the urban heat island on litter decomposition. Such changes in litter decomposition have the potential to alter the soil food web, nutrient cycling and carbon drawdown in urban forests, and could result in significant interactions between urbanisation and ongoing climate change.

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Data is available online through Figshare: https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.19771105.v1.

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Acknowledgements

The authors thank Luc Willems, Robbe De Beelde, Kris Ceunen for technical support with the fieldwork and laboratory analyses. The authors thank Eliza Steffen and Michał Lipa for help with the fieldwork, Patrick Huvenne, Frederik Vaes (Belgium), Matthieu Bourre and Séverine Rouet (France) and Grzegorz Skurczak, Djurgårdsförvaltningen (Sweden) for permission to conduct the research in the urban forests, and Tomasz Krupa for help in selecting the suitable study sites in Katowice. Earlier versions of the manuscript benefitted from constructive comments by two reviewers and the subject editor.

Funding

Research Foundation Flanders (FWO) (ASP035-19 and 1221523N), European Research Council (ERC) (FORMICA 757833), FWO scientific network FLEUR, Agence Nationale de la Recherche (ANR-19-CE32-0005-01 and ANR-21-CE32-0012), Schweizerischer Nationalfonds zur Förderung der Wissenschaftlichen Forschung (193645), Bolin Centre for Climate Research.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Forest & Nature Lab, Department of Environment, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, Geraardsbergsesteenweg 267, 9090, Melle-Gontrode, Belgium

    Karen De Pauw, Leen Depauw, Emiel De Lombaerde, Camille Meeussen, Thomas Vanneste, Kris Verheyen, Pieter Vangansbeke & Pieter De Frenne

  2. Environment and Geomatics, Department of Physical Geography, Stockholm University, Svante Arrhenius Väg 8, 106 91, Stockholm, Sweden

    Sara A. O. Cousins

  3. Vegetation Ecology and Conservation Biology, Institute of Ecology, FB2, University of Bremen, Bremen, Germany

    Martin Diekmann

  4. Swiss Federal Research Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research WSL, 8903, Birmensdorf, Switzerland

    David Frey & Florian Zellweger

  5. Ul. Wincentego Kadłubka 6C/12, 44-270, Rybnik, Poland

    Katarzyna Kwietniowska

  6. UMR CNRS 7058 “Ecologie et Dynamique des Systèmes Anthropisés” (EDYSAN), Université de Picardie Jules Verne, 1 rue des Louvels, 80037, Amiens Cedex, France

    Jonathan Lenoir & Fabien Spicher

  7. Institute of Biology, Biotechnology and Environmental Protection, Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of Silesia, Katowice, Poland

    Anna Orczewska

  8. Department of Urban and Rural Development, SLU Swedish Biodiversity Centre (CBM), Inst. för stad och land, 75007, Uppsala, Sweden

    Jan Plue

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  1. Karen De Pauw
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Contributions

KDP, PDF, PV, LD and KV conceived the ideas and designed methodology; all authors collected data; KDP led the data analyses and the writing of the manuscript in close collaboration with PDF, LD, PV and KV. All authors contributed critically to the drafts and gave final approval for publication.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Karen De Pauw.

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Additional information

The original online version of this article was revised: The affiliation was updated from "UMR CNRS 7058 “Ecologie et Dynamique des Systemes Anthropises” (EDYSAN), Universite de Picardie Jules Verne, 1 rue des Louvels, 80037 Amiens Cedex, France" to UMR CNRS 7058 “Ecologie et Dynamique des Systemes Anthropises” (EDYSAN), Universitee de Picardie Jules Verne, 1 rue des Louvels, 80037 Amiens Cedex, France.

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De Pauw, K., Depauw, L., Cousins, S.A.O. et al. The urban heat island accelerates litter decomposition through microclimatic warming in temperate urban forests. Urban Ecosyst (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11252-023-01486-x

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